Laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is a medical procedure of surgical operation in the abdomen using a laparoscope to examine the internal organs of the abdomen and is done by making relatively small openings or incisions, usually around half an inch to one and a half inch incisions, as distinguished from other types of surgeries involving traditional methods. This is considered as one of among the modern technique of surgery but this medical surgical technique is often mistakenly construed and referred to as “microscopic” surgery, the latter implying microscopic or relatively small incisions. In a typical open surgery, the incisions must be large enough to allow the hands of the surgeon to enter the body of the patient while microscopic surgery requires various medical instruments or devices, such as magnifying devices, inserted through the relatively small incisions as aid in the medical procedure. Keyhole surgery, as the term implies, uses a tube-like camera device inserted into the patient’s body, as in a key inserted into a keyhole, and the images are directly displayed on computer monitors so that the surgeon may enlarge or magnify such images and determine the proper surgical approach. Keyhole surgery performed on patients whose areas that need medical attention are the throat and chest cavity is technically referred to as thoracoscopic surgery. Upon the other hand, keyhole surgery as used in laparoscopic surgery is performed on areas involving the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Both laparoscopic and thorascopic surgery are part of endoscopy – a medical procedure using an endoscope or a long tube inserted into the body through a small opening or incision for diagnostic examination and surgery. The main advantages of laparoscopic surgery over open surgery include reduction or minimal pain primarily of the small incision, reduced risk of hemorrhaging, and a relatively faster recovery period for the patient.Gallbladder laparoscopic surgery ( Laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery )

Gallbladder laparoscopic surgery, also called cholecystectomy (“co-lee-sist-eck-toe-meeh”), is a medical procedure of removing the patient’s gallbladder. Traditional surgical procedure would involve incisions typically from five to eight inches in length in the abdomen particularly the area immediately below the right ribs down to the patient’s waist. This is traditionally known as open cholecystectomy. However, a modern way to remove the gallbladder is through laparoscopic cholecystectomy or the introduction of a laparoscope – a sterile, thin tube with a camera and glowing light to have a brighter image of the inside of the body, through a small incision just below the navel of the patient’s body in order to guide the surgeon of the procedure. Then, three other small incisions are made in the right upper portion of the abdomen. The gallbladder is then extracted passing through any of those three incisions.Hernia laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic Hernia Repair is a medical procedure to remedy the torn tissues in the abdominal wall by using tiny incisions, telescopes and patches. The main advantage of this surgery is the relatively faster recovery period for patients, thus enabling them to resume their normal routine or work and minimal pain felt by them. Using this kind of surgery, a tiny telescope called laparoscope which is connected to a specialized camera is introduced into the body through a cannula or a small hollow tube which allows the surgeon to have visual in the inside part specifically the injured part and the tissues surrounding it to be displayed on screen or monitor.

Aside from the cannula wherein the laparoscope is contained, other cannula may be inserted so that the surgeon may have other ways inside. The size of incisions are usually three or four quarter of an inch. The rupture or hernia is remedied from the back of the wall of the abdomen. A piece of surgical mesh is positioned over the hernia and secured with the aid of small surgical staples. General anesthesia is usually administered in this surgical operation or in some instances, regional or spinal anesthesia is used.

Laparoscopic band surgery

Through bariatic surgery, a restrictive device, or otherwise known as slim band or adjustable gastric lap band, is implanted in obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above, or from 35 to 40 for patients who have afflictions which are known to be alleviated as a result of weight loss like, among other disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, or metabolic syndrome. The slim band is a prosthetic device made of inflatable silicone which is introduced usually through laparoscopic surgery and placed around the top portion of the stomach. This causes the creation of a small pouch located at the top portion of the stomach that can hold food up to approximately 30 milliliters or about 1/8 cup. The purpose of the said small pouch is to be filled quickly by food but slows down its passage to the lower end of the stomach. The brains registers that the entire stomach is full yet only the small pouch really is. This sensation makes the patient to feel hunger less often as it takes sometime to pass the food down from the small pouch.

Laparoscopic colon surgery

This medical procedure technique known as minimally invasive laparoscopic colon surgery allows practitioners to operate the colon through relatively smaller incisions. In common laparoscopic colon resections, it takes about 4 or 5 incisions which is about a quarter of an inch in length, done with the aid of computer monitors displaying a detailed and enlarged image as guide. The small incisions may be from 2 to 3 inches in length in order to complete the procedure.

Typical laparoscopic colon procedures are done using a cannula or a narrow tube-like device introduced to the abdomen. Then a tiny telescope connected to a camera called laparoscope is inserted and enclosed through the cannula in order to provide the surgeon a zoomed-in view of the patient’s internal organs as the video images are displayed on screen. This may require the insertions of several cannulas to allow the surgeon to have a wider perspective or view of the patient’s internal organs and to operate part of the colon.

Laparoscopic endometriosis surgery

The procedure for laparoscopy is done by inflating the abdomen with gas which is usually carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) or nitrous oxide (N 2 O), the latter is a non-flammable, sweet-smelling gas often used in dentistry or surgery and commonly known as laughing gas. The introduction of said gases is done by using a needle by injection procedure. The effect of such injection pushes away the walls of the abdomen from the internal organs to give the surgeon a better vision and perspective inside. Then, a laparoscope is inserted through a tiny incision, or in some other cases, some tiny incisions are made so that various angles or viewpoint may be accessible to the surgeon. This procedure takes about half an hour to almost three-quarters of an hour or 45 minutes maximum, depending on how experienced the surgeon is.

The surgeon may employ various techniques like excision or the “cut-and-remove” tissue procedure, electrocautery or the melting of scar tissue by laser beam or electric current. Stitches are performed in closing the abdomen but, usually there is minimal or no scars are visible upon recovery. This is due to the small incisions made.Laparoscopic kidney surgery ( Laparoscopic nephrectomy )

The removal of the kidney is referred to as nephrectomy. The latest procedure for doing this is through laparoscopic surgery which is done by making three to four incisions which are usually one centimeter each in length. Then a thin tube with a tiny camera and spotlight attached to the end, or called laparoscope is inserted through said incisions. Then, the surgeon performs laparoscopic nephrectomy based from the zoomed-in or enlarged images displayed on a computer monitor in real time. Once completed, the kidney is extracted passing through one of the small incisions which is enlarged to accommodate the extraction of the said organ. The flexibility of the human skin allows large objects such as the kidney to pass through it without tearing or extending the incision.